If you were asked to give a tour of Birmingham, where would you start? And which spots in the city would be on your must-see list? The Magic City has an abundance of parks, museums, restaurants, theaters, nightclubs, sports venues and more.

We’ve got plenty of ideas in this regard, and it probably would take a week or more to show off our favorite places. But if we had to pare things down to the essentials — say, five landmarks that every tourist and local should visit — here’s where we’d go.

VULCAN PARK & MUSEUM

Where: 1701 Valley View Drive, Birmingham.

Hours: Park grounds are open daily, 10 a.m.-10 p.m.; museum is open daily, 10 a.m.-6 p.m.; observation tower has been closed since June 8 for a preservation project.